“Unlike other books on industrial planning and control, this one contains a wealth of information on the people factor — the most important of the three elements required for success in any commercial business. This book will be useful to people at all levels of the organization in manufacturing and distribution businesses.”

- From the foreword by industry pioneer George W. Plossl

About the Item

Manufacturers are continuously searching for solutions to their seemingly never-ending inventory, delivery, cost, productivity, quality, and profit woes. Progressive Manufacturing: Managing Uncertainty While Blazing a Trail to Success provides powerful, cutting-edge, common-sense solutions to these and other perennial problems faced by most organizations. The book delineates the three keystones essential to achieving any significant degree of success — people, products or services, and processes. It presents thought-provoking ideas and methods for simplifying processes at every level.

Author Soli Engineer explores topics that are instrumental to achieving success, but are often avoided, such as work breakdown structure and improvement curve theory, and explains “how to” and “how not to” approaches to production and inventory management. This book provides innovative techniques that take you beyond the tried and true to achieve real operational success and increased profits. It is a must-read for operations, production, and supply chain professionals.

Soli J. Engineer is a management consultant and the sole proprietor of SJE Consultants & Associates. He offers more than 25 years of management, global business, and manufacturing experience and is a member of the American Production & Inventory Control Society (APICS) and Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM). He has taught several certification courses and is a sought-after speaker and published author.

Table of Contents

Section I: People

Chapter 1: Change — The Biggest Hurdle!
A Professional Rut
For Whom Do You Work?
Types of Changes
Leadership and Teamwork
Cause for Concern
What Does It Take to Effect Change?
Management’s and Employees’ Responsibility

Chapter 2: Organization
Keep It Shallow
Mission
Credo of the Organization
Right People in the Right Jobs
Motivation
Incentives and Intra-Company Competition
Performance Evaluations
Fear
The Real Objective

Chapter 4: Product Design
Bills of Material
Work Breakdown Structure
Streamlining the Procurement Effort
Can Bills of Material Help with Outsourcing the Finished Product?
Establishing a “Statement of Work” for Each Supplier
Managing “Free-Issued” Components to Suppliers
Changes and Corrections to Bills of Material

Chapter 6: Lead Times
Components of Lead Time
Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Administrative Lead Time
Pull and Issue Components from Stock
Purchase Requisition Approval
Stocking Parts and Finished Goods
Minimizing Administrative Lead Times
Minimizing Traditionally Accepted Components of Lead Times
Setup, Wait, and Move Time

Chapter 11: Manufacturing Philosophies
A Bit of History
The Basic Requirements
“Push” Versus “Pull” Systems
Work Order or Kanban?
Have We Come Full Circle?
Effect on Our Industry
What Really Makes JIT, Kanban, and TQM Different?

Section IV: The Future

Chapter 12: Where Do We Go from Here?
The Traditional Tool Kit
One Size Does Not Fit All
Cherry-Picking Is Not a Good Idea
One of My Experiences